


Strange Bedfellows

by MarzgaPerez



Series: Strange Bedfellows [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Budding Love, Carrot and Raisin Salad, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Rated G, Roommates, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-27 20:05:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6298405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarzgaPerez/pseuds/MarzgaPerez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick has a slight problem with his living situation, and Judy offers to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“So what do you think?” Judy was concentrating on the road ahead, but she noticed that Nick didn’t respond right away.

“Nick?” She looked over at him in the passenger side and saw him nodding off.

“Nick!!!!”

“Wha-what?!? What did you say, Judy? Sorry, sorry.” He brushed his paw across his face as some drool had settled in the corners of his mouth.

“Nick, are you alright? You’ve been taking a lot of these little naps lately. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’ve been watching the playoffs this week is all…so tell me again, what did you want to know?”

Judy raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side but decided not to question him anymore for the time being.

“I was just wondering where you want to grab lunch.”

“Oh…I dunno. How about Chick-fil-A?”

“Really? I don’t know. Their chickpea burgers are pretty good, but I’m still upset they stopped carrying the carrot and raisin salad. That was my favorite. Now it’s either kale or lettuce. Boring. The carrot and raisin salad was such a unique item on their menu.”

“You’re not going to start talking about all of your favorite dishes with carrots again, are you?”

“Why? Will it put you to sleep?”

“Yeah…I think so.” Nick smiled and cracked open his window to let some air in and hopefully make him more alert.

“Fine. Just as long as you don’t start telling me about all of the recipes handed down from your great, great grandmother that have rabbit as the main ingredient.”

“Deal.”

^^^^^^^^^^

Nick slouched away from Chief Bogo’s office with a disheartened look on his face. It was the end of his shift, and he had been called in to receive a reprimand. He headed towards the front of the station and started to tell Clawhauser goodnight, when a pair of all-too familiar bunny ears surfaced from behind the counter.

“What was it this time?”

Nick sighed and shook his head as Judy hopped in front of him, blocking his path to the door.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough…but I already know.”

“Why should that surprise me? You and your meddling. So...who told?”

"Well, I'd rather not say, but I did have to promise a certain someone tickets to the Gazelle concert."

Nick turned around and saw Clawhauser peeking out sheepishly from behind a magazine.

"Sorry, dude. I'd do anything for Gazelle."

"Thanks a lot, Benji." Nick tipped his hat towards the cheetah and started to push past Judy. 

“Nick, why didn’t you just tell me you needed a place to crash. No wonder you’ve been so tired. The benches in the locker room can’t be all that comfortable. What happened with your apartment?”

“Look, I don't have time to discuss this. I’ve got to find somewhere to stay. Problem is, I’m broke at the moment. I’ve got enough money for food until my next pay check, but I don’t have the moola for a hotel.”

“Wait…you aren’t hustling me, are you?”

Judy already knew the answer as she had come to trust her gut when it came to whether Nick was joking around or not. And he seemed legitimately downtrodden.

“Um, Nick...don’t answer that. It’s settled. You’re staying at my place tonight. There’s room enough for both of us in my bed. As for dinner…well, I only have carrots, but we can pick something up on the way home. Besides, you and I both have an early shift tomorrow.”

Nick looked like he wanted to protest, but he was too tired. “Thanks, Carrots. That’s really kind of you. I can just sleep on the floor though…and just for tonight. I promise. I’ll figure out something. But let me at least take you out for a nice meal. Alright?”

“Okay. That sounds fair.” Judy elbowed him playfully and grabbed his hand to lead them out of the station. She was genuinely excited to have a roommate, even if only for one night. She missed having her brothers and sisters around as they all used to pile into their burrow together and tell stories and sing songs before they drifted off to sleep.   

^^^^^^^^^^

“Tasty, right?”

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to like this. I’ve kinda been opposed to eating other animals my whole life.”

“But these are the best frog legs in the city. And if you really want to experience Zootopia, you’ve got to branch out and try everything.”

“I guess so. Now can we talk about what happened with your place. Why didn't you just stay with Finnick?”

“Oh…that. Yeah, my building was condemned last week, and I asked Finnick about bunking with him, but he’s been angry with me for a while now. Says I abandoned him, you know, became a traitor to the cause. And some of our former associates have been giving him the cold shoulder, thinking that he’s also a rat-fink stoolie. No offense to rats, of course.”

“Nick, gosh. I didn’t think about the fact that you’d have to give up so many of your friendships from before when you joined the force.” Judy lowered her ears and looked down at her hands. “I feel responsible.”

“You don’t have to blame yourself for everyone’s problems, Carrots. And you don’t have to worry. I said _some_ of our former associates. Others have pretty much pledged to be informants if I go easy on them.”

Judy’s expression of sympathy turned to one of irritation. “What do you mean, go easy on them?”

“Calm down. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Fine. But does this mean you and Finnick are on the outs for good?”

“No, we’ve been friends for too long to just call it quits. He just needs some time to cool off...and some space.”

“I see. Well, his loss is my gain.”

“Your gain?”

“I mean, it’ll be nice to have some company in my room. Wait, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” A rosy hue began to spread over Judy’s cheeks. “It’s just that the city can be pretty lonely.”

“Sure. I understand. C’mon, let’s order some dessert. The chocolate-covered crickets are the best.”

“More formerly living and breathing things?”

“Insects. Better in our bellies than swarming around our heads.”

^^^^^^^^^^

“Are you alright?”

“I guess so…if you would stop thumping me with your feet.”

Judy had insisted that Nick sleep in the bed and not on the floor. To make things less awkward, she had suggested that he sleep with his head at the foot of the bed. Their hind paws would occasionally touch as they moved around, trying to get comfortable, but otherwise, there seemed to be enough room for both of them.

Of course, Judy’s neighbors had already embarrassed her by commenting through the walls about her “gentleman caller” and what would the landlady say the next morning when they told her. Judy and Nick had looked at each other and pounded on the wall in unison. “Shut up!”

But as hard as she tried, Judy could not fall asleep. Maybe it was the chocolate keeping her awake, or maybe, although she hated to admit it to herself, she was slightly thrilled about the fact that she and Nick were so close. It wasn’t the same as riding next to each other in the patrol car all day or even having each other’s backs when they chased down wanted criminals. This was more…intimate.

She began to notice Nick’s gentle rhythmic breathing and figured that he wasn’t having the same problem falling asleep. Of course he wasn’t - because Nick just thought of her like a kid sister or a buddy. A pal. No big deal. Judy sighed to herself.

“Hey, keep it down, would you?” Nick rolled over and pulled the blanket towards him. In doing so, Judy was left only half covered.

“Watch it! I’m cold over here.” She yanked the blanket back towards her, and they began pulling it back and forth in a tug-of war fashion, which ended with both of them on top of the blanket on the floor. They were laughing and somehow falling into each other’s arms. Then it was awkward again. They both backed away, and Judy straightened her posture. Nick cleared his throat.  

“Carrots…I mean, Judy, I mean…well, can I just sleep next to you? I promise there won’t be any funny business. It might just be easier that way.”  

Judy’s heart fluttered. She knew to go with her gut when it came to Nick. Maybe he was feeling something similar after all.

“Of course. Now, let’s get some rest. That’s what I promised you, right?” She smiled and offered her hand to Nick as they both stood up and fluffed out the blanket. She gestured for him to get in first. “I like the left side of the bed.”

“Perfect.” Nick climbed on the bed and lay down on his side with his tail facing the wall. He opened his arms in a welcoming motion to Judy, and she hopped up next to him, thinking that she would put her back to him, but then finding a nice spot in the crook of his arm to rest her head. She looked up at him in the mostly dark room and felt the warmth of his eyes upon her.

“This feels just right.”

"Yes, it does."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mostly wrote this because I miss the carrot and raisin salad from Chick-fil-A. Just kidding. I think these two are adorable together. Great movie!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy is new at this "love" stuff, but Nick is staying the course.

Nick rolled over in the bed and immediately began sniffing the air. It smelled delicious. Omelets? A quiche? He opened his eyes and remembered he was at Judy’s place. He glanced over to the corner of the room and saw Judy standing over a hot plate, stirring something in a large pot.

“Morning, Officer Hopps.”

“Oh, hi, Nick. Morning! I wanted to let you sleep a few extra minutes. Breakfast is almost ready.”

Nick stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders back. He was sore from sleeping on his side with a bunny burrowed in his arms, but he didn’t mind the mild discomfort. He did wonder what Judy thought about last night, but he wasn’t going to bring it up right away.

“So, what do I smell? Nutmeg? Rosemary?”

“Yes, both. Here it is.” Judy handed him a steaming bowl of –

“Carrots?”

“Yes?”

“No, I mean…these are carrots…for breakfast?”

“It’s carrot porridge. A Hopps specialty. Taste it.” Judy watched Nick intently, awaiting his reaction as he slowly dipped his spoon into the bowl. Nick didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and lifted the warm mush into his mouth.

“Mmm. It’s…pretty good.” He started to shovel more of the porridge into his mouth. He actually liked it. “Thanks, Carrots. You should open up your own bed and breakfast.”

“Yeah, maybe one day. But I kinda like the job I have now. Hurry up and finish. I don’t want to be late.”

Nick gobbled up the rest of the porridge and pulled on his shirt and tie. He figured there would be time to talk on the way to the station.

^^^^^^^^^^

But they didn’t end up talking much at all. Judy ran into a friend of hers from Bunnyburrow, Laney something, a gray sheep, and they spent the entire subway ride reminiscing about old times. Laney was excited that Judy had managed to live out her childhood dream of becoming a police officer. Nick did get a mention when Judy introduced him as a “friend” from the force.

As soon as they walked through the door of the station, Clawhauser came around from his usual perch to greet Nick and Judy. “Judy, how are you? Nicky! Buddy! Pal! So, listen…I feel terrible about yesterday…with me spilling the beans to Officer Hopps here. We all know she has a knack for sticking her cute little nose where it doesn’t belong. Am I right?” Clawhauser tweaked Judy on the nose.

“Hey! Watch it with the _cute_.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. Well, I was just thinking that you, Nick, could bunk with me for a while...until you find something more permanent. I have a guest room and a super sweet tricked out entertainment center. Plus, there are a lot of hot chicks in my neighborhood. Well, you know, _chicks_  being a figure of speech. I'm sure you prefer foxes.”

Nick was paying close attention to Judy in this moment, looking to her for how he should respond. She smiled at him warmly. Nick wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that.

“Um, wow…what a generous offer. Thanks, Clawhauser. I don’t know what to say.” Nick looked back at Judy once more, but she raised her shoulders as if to say _I don’t know_ or _whatever you want to do_. Not helpful.

“Okay…sure! Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Benji.” Nick reached out his hand to Clawhauser who hugged him in return.

“We’re going to have so much fun!”

But as Nick turned to walk with Judy to the bullpen, he noticed what seemed like disappointment on her face.

^^^^^^^^^^

They were several hours into their assignment, and Judy had been making polite chit chat all day. Nick said he needed to run an errand, and Judy waited for him in the patrol car, wondering what he was up to.

“Here, Carrots. I got you a cone.” He passed the cone to her through the open window on the passenger side and walked quickly around to the driver’s side, climbing into the car and devouring his own cone.

“That was nice of you, Nick.”

“You and your sweet tooth. Ready to get back to our exciting assignment?”

“Oh, yes. Gotta catch more of those speed demons. City Hall could use the money.”

“Wait, did I just hear a touch of cynicism in your voice? Are the rose colored glasses looking a bit cloudy today?”

“No…I’m just tired, I guess.”

“Didn’t sleep well, huh?” Nick regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He was trying to avoid the topic of sleeping arrangements in general. He wanted to apologize, or make a joke, but Judy already had her guns loaded.

“You know, I’m actually looking forward to having my bed all to myself tonight. I can’t count the number of times that your snoring woke me up. I’m so glad it worked out for you to stay with Clawhauser.”

Nick knew she was upset, and he figured he might as well continue digging his hole. That's what foxes did after all. “Snoring? Well, I’ve never had any complaints before. Must be those big ears of yours. Can’t get anything past those.”

Judy was not amused. “I could say the same about your _big_ fluffy tail. Well, it looks fluffy, but it’s very prickly, and you somehow managed to poke me with it all night long.”

No, no. Nick was going to stop before he said something even more hurtful, which he wouldn’t have meant anyway. Judy had her arms crossed in front of her and was staring ahead through the windshield.

Nick paused for a moment but then started the patrol car. “Let’s just get back to work.”

“Fine.” Judy remained curt for the rest of their shift and mostly stuck to writing out tickets and playing Words with Mammals on her phone.

^^^^^^^^^^

She was determined not to spend her evening sulking. It wasn’t uncommon for her and Nick to have an occasional tiff, but this one felt different. Awkwardness and tension had managed to creep into their relationship. Judy knew she had behaved childishly and maybe overacted. What was she mad about anyway? What could she have done differently? Insist that Nick continue staying at her place? It would be too much, wouldn’t it? 24 hours of togetherness? Besides, what would her parents say?

Maybe deep down she was worried that Nick didn’t really care about her _that_ way. She wasn’t too skilled at this love stuff. Wait – love stuff? Yep, seemed to be the case.

Judy thought about calling Nick’s cell phone. Maybe he was still awake. Maybe she could just apologize, and they could pretend like this silliness never happened. Maybe it was foolish to think she could trust her feelings. Maybe they should just stick with being friends because that would be a lot easier. Maybe she just thought about everything too much…

Judy rolled over, facing the wall, and she detected a scent from her pillowcase that was distinctly Nick's. She knew that scent all too well from riding with him around Zootopia, day after day. She pushed her face into the pillow, wishing he was next to her again.  

“Aww, you miss him, bunny, don’t you?”

One of her neighbors. Ugh! Could they read her mind?  

“Yeah, maybe a little.”

“Well, we’re rooting for you two crazy kids! Then _you_ can move out and get a place with him, and we can knock down the wall to expand our living space.”

“Gee…thanks.” And then Judy pulled her blanket up to her chin and eventually fell into a restless sleep.

^^^^^^^^^^

Judy woke up the next morning to the sound of a loud rapping on her door. She figured it was Mrs. Dillostein stopping by to collect the rent. Judy rubbed her eyes, before grabbing her robe and pulling on her – what else – bunny slippers. She shuffled over to the door to greet the landlady, but who was actually on the other side? Nick! Judy pulled the front of her robe together.

“Relax, Carrots. I’ve seen your pajamas before. May I come in? I wanted to catch you before work.”

She opened the door wider so that he could pass by. “Sure, Nick. I was just about to get ready.”

Nick stepped inside. Judy noticed that he had a bag in his hand, which he was trying to hide behind his back. He was looking in the direction of her feet. “I didn’t see those before. They look cozy.”

“A gift from my parents. I swear, I don’t know whose idea it was to put bunnies on slippers, but they are very popular back home.”

“Maybe I’ll have to get a pair.”

“Sure, Nick. But I’m guessing you didn’t come over here to talk about footwear. What’s up? Did you sleep well?”

“You know, I should have. Clawhauser must have left work early to set up his guest room. New sheets, fresh cut flowers, and a mint on my pillow…but I was up all night thinking about…us.”

“Us?” Judy drew in a breath and held it, waiting for what Nick was about to say.

“Carrots…Judy, I guess I should tell you now what I wanted to tell you yesterday.”

She nodded her head encouragingly but still held her breath.

“I only took Clawhauser up on his offer yesterday to give you some space…or because I didn’t want to impose on you…or because I couldn’t really tell what you wanted me to say…or because I figured that I would drive you crazy even after a few days or because – ”

Before Nick could finish his sentence, Judy lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his mouth and stifling his rambling. He looked down into her bright and hopeful eyes. Nick pulled her closer, then dipped her back into his arms, kissing her deeply.

Before he realized what was happening, Judy had slipped out of his arms and snatched the bag from his hands. In a flash, she hopped over to her bed and asked him menacingly. “So…what’s in the bag?”

“Carrots…if this thing is going to work between you and me, let me explain some basic couples etiquette. One, when a kiss is that good, you don’t just break away on a whim, and two, if your boyfriend comes over with a gift, you wait for him to give it to you.”

Boyfriend? Judy couldn’t help but giggle, but then she stopped herself. “You’re right. I need to be more serious about this. And I’m sorry about being so sensitive yesterday.” She offered to give him back the bag.

“No, no. Go ahead and see what’s inside.”

“Alright.” She pulled out the box that was on top and inspected the label. “Chocolate covered crickets! My new favorite candy. You know the way to a bunny’s heart.” Nick smiled and waited for her to open the next item.

Judy pulled a gift-wrapped object from the bottom of the bag and tore into the paper. Inside was a soft green blanket, similar to the one she had on her bed. She held it close to her cheek.  

“I just figured that there might be a time or two that you’d let me stay here again, and this way, we’ll each have our own blanket. What do you think?”

She nodded and lunged at him again, this time covering his face with kisses. “I love it. Very thoughtful...and practical.”

“The two words that best describe me. So…we’re good?”

“Yes, we are. And in a few hours, when we’re arguing about something else, we’ll still be good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went to see the movie again, so I decided to write one more chapter with just a bit of angst.


End file.
